Signet Ring: Armored signet ring for seals

By definition, a signet ring is a ring that offers a large plate (also called a bezel) engraved with a pattern, usually a coat of arms or coat of arms, which can be used as a seal for sealing documents with sealing wax.

Templar seal ring with wax seal, this ring is also available in silver via our men’s signet ring collection

The ancient origin of the use of seals is ascertained and dates back to over 4000 BC

In Mesopotamian times, before the advent of the pharaohs and Egyptian civilization, engraved cylinders were used as seals to mark fresh clay, thus ensuring the authenticity of legal documents.

Mesopotamian cylinder seal (source)

I can only recommend reading the Wikipedia article on the seals because it is so fascinating.

Although the use of the first seals dates back more than 6000 years, they are still used today, among other things in the form of computer seals to certify electronic documents.

Here we invite you to discover the different types of signet rings, signet rings with monograms or initials or even signet rings with coats of arms and explain how they are made.

What are signet rings engraved with?

Used to mark documents to authenticate them, everything that may be personal is engraved on them despite being difficult to copy.

Obviously they have evolved over time to become increasingly elaborate (and complex).

If in the Middle Ages the engraving of rings with personalized coats of arms and the wearing of rings with coats of arms were highly regulated for the nobility, today this is no longer the case.

Many non-noble families have signet rings engraved with their family’s crest or coat of arms.

We will see that these signet rings can have the form:

• initials
• monograms
• coats of arms or seals
• carving

Signet rings engraved with initials

Made of silver or gold, these signet rings are engraved with hollow or raised initials.

Note that while signet rings were initially engraved into the cavity so that a raised wax impression could be left on the seal, today it is common to see signet rings with the initials in relief, these are no longer used to make wax seals.

Signet rings engraved with monograms

Close to signet ring designs with initials, monograms bring together multiple letters within the same design, letters that have a particular meaning, it can be a name, a symbol or even a phrase.

Seal and rings with coat of arms

These rings feature raised or hollow engraved crests or coats of arms in both silver and gold.

Slotted rings

In principle, these rings do not differ from the previous ones since they are signet rings, but the hollow engraving is made in the stone, it can be onyx, carnelian (stone appreciated by the Romans), lapis lazuli…

Stone engraving is delicate, it can be performed on translucent (carnelian, amethyst) or opaque (onyx, lapis lazuli) precious stones.

Creation of customized sealing rings

If you want your signet ring made with a custom signet and are wondering about the price of your project, I invite you to read this article which details the price of a custom signet ring.

You can read about our custom ring creation services on this page before contacting us to request a quote for your project.

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